Day 59: Only In Korea - Part 1

Here's a list of unusual/hilarious/odd/surprising things that I've seen during my 2 months here. They're things that I've seen at some point or another that made me stop, chuckle to myself, and think "Only in Korea!" Enjoy!

1) Where in the world are you if you're strolling through a movie theatre, and are greeted in the lobby by ARMED MILITIA!!! Yep, Korean soldiers decked out in full camouflage, guns in hand, just chillin' out in the movie theatre. Who exactly are they protecting us from? Rogue North Korean spies who are stopping for a quick movie break before returning to their recconnaissance spy missions? Queue jumpers too anxious to wait any more in line for tickets, that need to be put back in their place? Patrons who are taking just a few too many napkins from the condiment stand and need a severe attitude adjustment?

Only in Korea...

2) Where in the world are you if you're strolling through a busy market place, and see a guy walking through the crowds with a GIANT EIGHT-FOOT RACK OF MEAT on his back!!! No wrapping, no cellophane, no bag, just a big hunk of bloody juicy ribs, up and over his head, slapped onto his back. What the hell do you need that much meat for? Who are you cooking dinner for tonight? Afghanistan? Where does one even go to purchase a hunk of meat that big?

Only in Korea...

3) Where in the world are you if your beautiful perfect sleep is rudely interrupted at an ungodly early hour by propaganda trucks cruising through your local neighbourhood? Yep, you know the ones - those pick-up trucks with GIANT LOUDSPEAKERS on the roof (the kind that any rock band would sell their own mother for to get a hold of) blasting out messages about how great their fruit or meat or squid or whatever it is that they're selling in the back of the truck. These propaganda trucks literally cruise up and down every single street in the city, blaring away at a volume that disturbs birds in Japan, hoping for customers to buy their fermented seaweed at 7:22am on a Tuesday.

Only in Korea...

4) Where in the world are you if you're driving down a busy street right in the middle of central Seoul (you know, that megacity of 20 million), surrounded by the hustle and bustle of skyscrapers, subway trains, crowds of shoppers, and 8.2 billion other cars, only to look outside your window and see....some old man burning random piles of garbage in giant flaming heaps...right in the middle of the city. He's not in a garbage dump, he's not in his yard, he's not in an empty desolate suburban parking lot - he's just hanging out downtown, just chillin' out on the sidewalk all by himself. And oh yeah, he's burning a pile of stinking shit the size of the SkyDome. Huge flames and black smoke shooting up into the sky....while passerby walk by oh so casually....

Only in Korea...

5) Where in the world are you if you're on a city bus that suddenly has to break and swerve to avoid an oncoming motorcyclist...who's driving at least 100 km/hour....up the street....in the wrong lanes...against the flow of traffic....inbetween streams of oncoming traffic... And every time you look to see who it is who's on the bike, it's never who you think - (some Korean punk perhaps? an Asian Hell's Angels? a cop on a bike racing to save a baby trapped in a burning overturned propaganda truck?) Nope - it's some old man...with a young pretty thing sitting behind him, arms wrapped tightly around Gramps, holding on for dear life, laughing and screaming at the top of her lungs....

Only in Korea...